argued by lawyers for three days, determined that the office could be held only by a clergyman, according to the act of uniformity, fince the provosts had always received inftitution, as for a parfonage, from the bishops of Lincoln. The King then faid, he could not break the Law which he had made: and Dr. Zachary Cradock, famous for a fingle fermon, at moft for two fermons, was chofen by the Fellows.

That he asked any thing more is not known; it is certain that he obtained nothing, though he continued obfequious to the court through the reft of Charles's reign.

At the acceffion of King James (in 1685) "he was chofen for parliament, being then fourfcore, at Saltafh in Cornwall; and wrote a Prefage of the Downfall of the Turkish Empire, which he prefented to the King on his birth-day. It is remarked, by his commentator Fenton, that in reading Taffo he had early imbibed a veneration for the heroes of the Holy War, and a zealous enmity to the Turks, which never left him. James, however, having foon after begun what he thought

a Holy War at home, made hafte to put all moleftation of the Turks out of his power.

James treated him with kindness and familiarity, of which inftances are given by the writer of his life. One day, taking him into the closet, the King afked him how he liked one of the pictures: "My eyes," faid Waller," are dim, and I do not know it." The king faid, it was the princefs of Orange. "She is," faid Waller, "like the greatest "woman in the world." The King afked who was that; and was anfwered, Queen Elizabeth. "I wonder," faid the King, 66 you fhould think fo; but I must confefs "the had a wife council." And, Sir," faid Waller, did you ever know a fool

chufe a wife one?" Such is the ftory, which I once heard of fome other man. Pointed axioms, and acute replies, fly loofe about the world, and are affigned fucceffively to those whom it may be the fashion to cele brate.

When the King knew that he was about to marry his daughter to Dr. Birch, a clergyman, be ordered a French gentleman to

tell

tell him, that "the King wondered he could "think of marrying his daughter to a falling "church." "The King," fays Waller, "does me great honour, in taking notice of "my domeftick affairs; but I have lived

long enough to obferve that this falling "church has got a trick of rifing again."

He took notice to his friends of the King's conduct; and faid, that," he would be left like a whale upon the ftrand." Whether he was privy to any of the transactions which ended in the Revolution, is not known. His heir joined the prince of Orange.

Having now attained an age beyond which the laws of nature feldom fuffer life to be extended, otherwife than by a future ftate, he feems to have turned his mind upon preparation for the decifive hour, and therefore confecrated his poetry to devotion. It is pleafing to difcover that his piety was without weakness; that his intellectual powers conti-, nued vigorous; and that the lines which he compofed when he, for age, could neither read nor write, are not inferior to the effufions of his youth.

Towards

Towards the decline of life, he bought a fmall house, with a little land at Colfhill; and said," he should be glad to die, like the ftag, where he was roufed." This, however, did not happen. When he was at

66

Beaconsfield, he found his legs grow tumid:
he went to Windfor, where Sir Charles
Scarborough then attended the King, and re.
quested him, as both a friend and physician,
to tell him, what that swelling meant.
"Sir,"
answered Scarborough, your blood will
"run no longer." Waller repeated fome
lines of Virgil, and went home to die.

As the disease increased upon him, he compofed himself for his departure; and calling upon Dr. Birch to give him the holy facrament, he defired his children to take it with him, and made an earneft declaration of his faith in Chriftianity. It now appeared, what part of his conversation with the great could be remembered with delight. He related, that being prefent when the duke of Buckingham talked profanely before King Charles, he faid to him, "My Lord, I am "a great deal older than your grace, and

"have,

་

* have, I believe, heard more arguments for Atheism than ever your grace did; but I "have lived long enough to fee there is ઠંડ nothing in them; and fo, I hope, your ક grace will.”

He died October 21, 1687, and was buried. at Beaconsfield, with a monument erected by his fon's executors, for which Rymer wrote the infcription, and which I hope is now refcued from dilapidation.

He left feveral children by his fecond wife; of whom, his daughter was married to Dr. Birch. Benjamin, the eldest fon, was difinherited, and fent to New Jersey, as wanting common understanding. Edmund, the fecond fon, inherited the eftate, and reprefented "Agmondefham in parliament, but at laft turned Quaker. William, the third fon, was a merchant in London. Stephen, the fourth, was an eminent Doctor of Laws, and one of the Commiffioners for the Union. Thereis faid to have been a fifth, of whom no account has defcended.